S-Pulse 3-0 Yamagata

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 3-0 Yamagata
Fujimoto 13
Okazaki 88
Teruyoshi 94

Att. 18517

Line Up

GK Nishibe

DF Ichikawa
DF Iwashita
DF Bosnar (Yellow 15)
DF Arata

MF Ono
MF Honda
MF Hyodo (Yellow 87)

FW Okazaki
FW Johnsen
FW Fujimoto

Subs Used

M. Yamamoto on for Ono (72)
Omae on for Fujimoto (78)
Teruyoshi on for Okazaki (90)

Report

Having nervously checked the weather forecast everyday leading up to Saturday I couldn't help worry we might be in for a wet opening home weekend. As it was Shizuoka was actually bathed in a gloriously warm sunshine as we filed through the turnstiles.

Getting there early is what it's all about

The performance was a solid one against a determined opponent. We had a good first half and took the lead though a Johnsen shot deflected wickedly off Jungo. It wrong footed the keeper and hit the back of the right in front of us. 1-0.

We should have made more of our superior first half possession, but it was still one zero at half time. The second half Yamagata were a much improved team, and it was a nervous 44 minutes before we put the game beyond doubt.

The match ball was dropped in by helicopter for some reason I missed

Our second came from Okazaki's pinpoint head. After a free kick was played out wide to Ichikawa, the cross was swung over to Shinji who was waiting at the far post. He managed to nod it back across goal right in front of the keeper. It ending up in the far corner. Unfortunately, Okazaki went off injured within moments after getting a knock in the mouth.

That wasn't where the story ended, as Shinji's replacement Ito Teruyoshi managed to grab his first goal for three years with the last action of the game. 3-0 may flatter us a little, but a win was fair.

Making friends

Videos

All from YouTube user ssnnddttyy's personal cam, here are the goals. Our first:



Our second:



Our third: